How to Build a Terrarium

Glass cloche terrariums are not only appealing to the eye, but they also preserve a bit of nature in your home and serve as a simple, yet beautiful, piece of art. Closed terrariums are easy to care for, as they retain much of their own moisture and provide a warm environment with a consistent level of humidity. You won’t have to water the terrariums unless you see that the walls are not misting up. Small growing plants that don’t require a lot of light work best such as succulents, ferns, moss, even orchids.

Glass cloche terrariums (Image: Lucy Akins)

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What You'll Need:

Cloche

Planter saucer, small shallow dish or desired platform

Floral foam oasis

Ruler

Spoon

Floral wire pins or paper clips

Small plants (from a florist or nursery)

Moss

Tweezers

Other small decorative items (optional)

Step 1

Measure the circumference of your cloche and cut the foam oasis about 3/4 inch (2 cm) smaller. Place the foam oasis into a container full of water and allow to soak until it sinks to the bottom. Dig out a hole on the oasis large enough to fit your plant, being careful not to pierce all the way through to the bottom.

Dig a hole in the oasis. (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 2

Insert your plant into the hole.

Orchid in foam oasis (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 3

You can add various plants if you wish.

Various foliage (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 4

Using floral pins, attach enough moss around the oasis to cover it.

Attach moss. (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 5

Gently place the cloche over the oasis. The glass may push some of the moss upward, exposing some of the foam.

Place cloche over oasis. (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 6

Simply pull down the moss with tweezers or insert more moss to fill in the empty spaces.

Rearrange moss. (Image: Lucy Akins)

Step 7

You can use any platform you wish. In this case, a small saucer was used.